Revisiting the Patriots trading for Panthers DE Kony Ealy back in 2017.
The New England Patriots have a tremendous track record when it comes to fleecing teams in trades. However, for as many deals as de facto general manager Bill Belichick has hit on through the years — look no further than the Randy Moss trade — he owns his fair share of swings and misses as well.
One of the most glaring blemishes on Belichick’s resume came during the 2017 offseason when he agreed to send a second-round draft pick to the Carolina Panthers in return for defensive end Kony Ealy and a third-rounder.
The trade was a genuine head-scratcher from the beginning. Despite flaunting a ton of potential as a former second-round pick, Ealy had offered inconsistent production since entering the NFL in 2014. In three seasons with the Panthers before the deal, the Missouri product posted 76 tackles, 14 sacks and six forced fumbles.
Panthers trade DE Kony Ealy + third-round draft pick to Patriots for a second-rounder https://t.co/aUwn993TMJ pic.twitter.com/GJhJlRhQLj
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 10, 2017
The Patriots likely believed they could get the most out of Ealy, but that was anything but the case. In fact, he was released before the start of the 2017 regular season in August, just months into his tenure with the franchise.
“I just think it’s one of those things that didn’t work out or wasn’t going to work out,” Belichick said of Ealy’s release. “Nobody’s fault. He worked hard. We worked hard. A lot of effort put in, but in the end, we didn’t feel like this was going to work out.”
Panthers trade Kony Ealy to Patriots for eight spots of draft position https://t.co/VXMlPqT6Cj
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 10, 2017
New England ultimately ended up unloading the third-rounder it acquired alongside Ealy. The Panthers, meanwhile, selected left tackle Taylor Moton with the second-round pick they obtained. After being eased in as a rookie, he’s emerged as a pivotal member of Carolina’s offensive line. Over the last two seasons, the Western Michigan product has started all 32 games while playing 99.5% of the offensive snaps. He even received a spectacular 76.2 grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts last year.
It’s not often that the Patriots lose both sides of a trade to this extent, but that’s exactly what happened in this deal. Ealy flopped in epic fashion, and the draft pick they jettisoned has turned into a stud for the Panthers.
You can’t win them all.